Chapter 79 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (20)
Lan Gaoyi was furious. As a dignified imperial prince, he had actually fallen to the point of being kidnapped! The only person he could think of behind this was that wretched Wei girl—Wei Yuyan. She had even denied any involvement with the traffickers, and yet he had foolishly pleaded for her before the emperor, trying to clear her name. But this was no case of mistaken identity; far from it. She was likely one of the core members of the trafficker gang! The wealth and power of the Prime Minister’s household were tainted with human blood.
With Lan Gaoyi’s martial skills, taking down a few common thugs wouldn’t have been an issue. The real problem was that he had no strength left—he had fallen victim to one of Wei Yuyan’s tricks.
Due to the memory-erasing drug, he had completely forgotten that he had gone to find Bai Mo. Upon waking up and overhearing what sounded like Wei Yuyan’s name, he immediately attributed everything to her.
And the motive? It was right there—revenge for breaking off their engagement.
Before Lan Gaoyi could struggle and fight back, the uneven ground suddenly jolted him. His head slammed against a tree as he was being carried on a thug’s shoulder, knocking him unconscious once more. By the time he woke up again, Minister Bai had already arrived with his men to rescue him.
Lan Gaoyi checked his body—there were no signs of having been violated. However, his clothes were torn to shreds, which was enough to make him seethe with rage. Without hesitation, he gave a ruthless order:
“Dismember them! Tear them apart limb by limb!”
The fact that he referred to himself as this prince meant the beggars now knew his true identity. Even if they hadn’t committed a crime worthy of death before, now that they had seen him in this state, they had to die—for the sake of the royal family’s reputation.
If possible, Lan Gaoyi would have killed every single person who had laid eyes on him in this humiliating condition. However, he wasn’t the emperor yet. He couldn’t touch Minister Bai, and not only that—he needed to win him over and ensure he wouldn’t spread rumors. So, he had to act with courtesy.
Lan Gaoyi forced a smile at Minister Bai, but the sinister undertone of it sent a chill down the latter’s spine. Minister Bai, wanting no part in this mess, left the decision-making to Lan Gaoyi.
However, internally, he was deeply puzzled—how had a missing servant from his residence turned out to be the Third Prince instead? The more he thought about it, the less sense it made.
Could it be… that the Third Prince had snuck into Bai Mo’s courtyard and, by some twist of fate, ended up being knocked out and taken away?
The more Minister Bai pondered, the more convinced he became. Otherwise, there was no other explanation for why the Third Prince would be here. There had even been rumors that the Third Prince was interested in his youngest son…
With this realization, Minister Bai’s respect for Lan Gaoyi plummeted. Perhaps even the prince himself was aware that sneaking into another person’s courtyard without permission was an unspeakable act, which was why he hadn’t publicly addressed it. But just because he wasn’t saying anything now didn’t mean he wouldn’t retaliate later.
The Third Prince must never ascend to the throne.
As Lan Gaoyi mercilessly slaughtered the beggars, Minister Bai had already made up his mind about his political allegiance.
…
The guards quickly bought a suitable set of clothes, and as soon as Lan Gaoyi put them on, a large group of gossiping women appeared at the end of the road, chattering loudly and hurling crude insults like “damned scoundrels.”
“Sisters, it’s just up ahead! That shameless couple is hiding in that rundown temple, committing adultery! What a disgrace! My poor son passed away too soon, and now this wicked daughter-in-law is using our family’s money to support her lover…”
As the noisy group approached, Minister Bai could hear the leading old woman’s words more clearly.
Adultery? A rundown temple?
Then he noticed the government constables walking behind the group of old women, and his expression darkened. He wasn’t a fool—this was obviously a key part of the mastermind’s scheme.
It wasn’t enough to gather a group of loud-mouthed women; they even had to bring constables along. Gossiping women might exaggerate, but constables were bound by the law and had to take responsibility for their words.
What a cunning plan.
The constables hadn’t originally intended to accompany the women, but they had been relentless in their complaints, forcing the magistrate’s assistant to assign three officers to check things out. They had never expected to run into none other than the Minister of Justice himself outside a ruined temple!
That was a higher-ranking official than even their own superior.
The constables wouldn’t normally recognize Minister Bai, but due to the recent large-scale human trafficking case—which had even involved Bai Mo’s personal safety—they had been fortunate enough to see this high-ranking official in person.
“Minister Bai? What brings you here?” The leading constable stepped past the old women and bowed respectfully. Today was supposed to be Bai Mo’s wedding day—why was Minister Bai at an abandoned temple instead of waiting at home for the new couple’s formal visit?
None of them suspected that the so-called adulterous woman mentioned by the old crone had anything to do with Minister Bai. Everyone knew he was a man of unwavering loyalty, deeply devoted to his wife.
Meanwhile, the old woman, having taken money for her “job,” was determined to see it through.
Noticing Minister Bai’s distinguished aura—despite his age, he was well-maintained and dressed more richly than anyone else—she quickly made a connection.
He matched the description Wei Yuyan had given her perfectly. She didn’t know why he hadn’t yet engaged in any “dirty deeds” with the beggars, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from earning her payment.
With that in mind, the old woman suddenly collapsed to the ground and wailed at the top of her lungs.
“Heavens, have mercy! This wicked old man has bullied my poor daughter-in-law—and with all these men, too! Our family’s honor is ruined! How can I go on living?”
“It must be him! He seduced Madam Li’s daughter-in-law! Shameless old scoundrel—pretending to be rich and respectable when he’s just a dirty leech!”
“Exactly! Living off a woman—what kind of man does that?”
“You don’t even know the worst of it! Madam Li’s son was gravely ill, but he wasn’t supposed to die so soon! It was because his wife was fooling around with her lover that he… he died of heartbreak!”
“Is that true? I heard that the lover and the young wife conspired to poison Old Li…”
One person after another chimed in, each adding their own spin, making the story increasingly absurd.
Minister Bai was so furious that smoke might as well have been coming out of his ears. If not for Mo Mo’s quick thinking, these people would be pointing fingers at him instead.
The mere thought of Bai Mo crying out for help with no one to respond, waking up only to be surrounded and accused, made his blood boil. Even if he had survived, the humiliation alone could have killed him from sheer grief.
To Lan Gaoyi, however, the women’s words carried a completely different weight.
His body went stiff, cold sweat running down his back. He had fallen into a trap, and if Minister Bai hadn’t arrived in time, his reputation would have been utterly destroyed.
For the sake of the imperial family’s honor, his father, the Emperor, and his imperial grandmother would have no choice but to claim that the Third Prince had fallen “gravely ill.” He would be confined to the palace to “recover” until, one day, news of his sudden and unfortunate death would spread. And then, he would be nothing more than a forgotten “imposter.“
What a vicious scheme. Wei Yuyan—she truly lived up to her title as the Prime Minister’s daughter. Her calculations were precise, her methods ruthless. Like the sting of a queen wasp—no one was more venomous than a woman with a deadly heart.
“Minister Bai, I suspect these people were sent here with an ulterior motive, and there is someone behind them pulling the strings. As the Minister of Justice, I will leave this matter in your hands,” Lan Gaoyi said, careful not to reveal his identity in front of the crowd. The fact that he was the Third Prince must never be exposed.
“Understood, Your Highness,” Minister Bai responded with a formal bow. For now, their goals aligned, and there was no need for conflict between them. The priority was to uncover the mastermind.
However, not everything went according to plan.
Among the group of beggars, one man, terrified after watching his fellow beggars get slaughtered by Lan Gaoyi, was now desperate. Seeing that there were many people around, including government officers, he decided to seek protection.
“Officers! Officers! I am innocent!” The old beggar scrambled toward the constables, clutching onto their legs, unwilling to let go. “I was framed! I didn’t know that man was a prince!”
The beggar spoke too quickly for Minister Bai to stop him in time. The first half of his plea was fine, but the second half had just exposed Lan Gaoyi’s identity.
And that instantly reignited the prince’s killing intent.
With a sharp clang, Lan Gaoyi unsheathed the blade from one of the constables and swung it without hesitation.
The old beggar’s head was sent flying. Hot blood sprayed in all directions, splattering onto the faces of the women standing too close.
For a few seconds, the entire scene was frozen in shock.
The severed head rolled to a stop at the feet of the leading old woman, its lifeless eyes wide open in a final, unseeing stare.
The old woman had never been so close to bloodshed and death before. She screamed in terror, her act of throwing a tantrum turning into genuine panic as her legs gave out beneath her. Her voice broke into a shriek:
“Help! Murder! Someone’s been killed—”
The other women rushed to pull her up, but fear had sapped all strength from her body. No matter how they tried to help, she couldn’t stand. When she lifted her head, her gaze met Lan Gaoyi’s fierce, murderous eyes. He still held the blood-dripping blade in his hands—more terrifying than even the butchers at the end of the street. A pungent stench of urine filled the air as a large wet patch spread across the old woman’s skirt.
“Good sir, please don’t kill me! I’ll give you all my silver!” With a loud thud, she dropped to her knees, banging her head against the ground again and again. Faced with a choice between life and money, she immediately sold out Wei Yuyan.
“I’ll give you all the silver Miss gave me! All of it! I don’t want it anymore—just spare me, please! I was only following orders!”
Minister Bai turned his gaze toward the rest of the women. “And what about you? How much were you paid?”
No one wanted to die. If this man dared to kill someone in front of government officers, then what chance did a group of old, frail women have against a strong, young man?
Realizing the situation, the women hurriedly dropped to their knees, begging for mercy. From their sleeves, belts, and pouches, they pulled out bits of silver. Some, who had been particularly loud in cursing, had even received small silver notes instead of loose coins.
The constables had never seen such a quick and cooperative confession before. However, Lan Gaoyi had killed a man in front of them, and that wasn’t right either. Just as they were about to arrest everyone—including Lan Gaoyi—Minister Bai intervened.
“This gentleman, Young Master Huang, is an acquaintance of mine. I will personally handle this matter. As for the rest of them, take them away,” Minister Bai stated. With a single word change, he transformed “prince” into “Young Master Huang,” making it seem as though the old beggar had merely misspoken in his panic.
Lan Gaoyi was still fuming. While these beggars may have been guilty, the constables were innocent—they couldn’t be allowed to die for this.
“Young Master Huang, I will arrange for someone to escort you back. Thank you for your assistance in helping eliminate these remnants of the kidnapping ring,” Minister Bai said, maintaining the cover.
“But those beggars were clearly…” civilians. One of the constables, too honest for his own good, was about to speak the truth when a sharp-eyed guard quickly covered his mouth.
Shut up if you want to live.
Minister Bai had given Lan Gaoyi full respect, and now that he had cooled down a little, Lan Gaoyi also saw the wisdom in covering up the matter for now. He felt a sense of appreciation toward Minister Bai for protecting his identity. As expected of his father’s trusted minister—and the father of the woman he loved—he was indeed a man who understood how things should be done.
“Keep a close watch on these people. If even one escapes, you will be held responsible.” Lan Gaoyi let out a cold snort. These people all had to be dealt with.
With that, he stepped into the sedan chair that Minister Bai had ordered to be brought and left the scene.
The old women wailed and pleaded, insisting that they knew nothing.
But whether they were truly ignorant or not was not for them to decide—everyone present understood the truth. Minister Bai showed them no kindness and ordered the constables to escort the remaining beggars and old women away.
He still had to rush back home, take a bath, and then head to the Yu residence to witness the newlyweds’ formal bows.